The Council of Magistrates is made up of representatives elected by the ruling body of each of the member states. The Council of Magistrates is responsible for ensuring free trade and the upholding of economic treaties between the member states. It works with the Council of Wizardry to provide joint defense of the collective states.
The Council of Wizardry is made up of the preeminent wizards of the land as selected by the Council Roster. The Council Roster is an organization consisting of all duly recognized wizards in Norelon (and in much of Eton). Membership is incumbent upon presentation of credentials, abiding by the Code of Wizardry and payment of dues. The Council is foremost authority on wizardry in the land and is empowered to take action against members and non-members who violate the Code of Wizardry. Further, because many of the members are also ruling lords the Council of Wizardry carries considerable political weight, in and of itself, beyond that of ruling committees.
Government of the Council States is handled by applicable committees made up jointly and equally from members and/or appointees of both Councils. The Ruling Committees are each responsible for their designated area of authority and these bodies make applicable laws and rulings for their sphere of influence. Individuals requesting an appeal of the decisions of the committees may petition the independent Committee on Appeal. If their arguments are found to be of merit, the appeal may be forwarded on to the two Councils.
Committees are typically formed of 13 members (with the exception of Arms and Justice which are 27 members each), the chair of each council appoints one member to each committee and six other members of each council get one appointee each. Which committees a councilor appoints to is determined by seniority and the relative importance of the committee. In theory a council member can appoint him or herself to a committee, but this is almost never done due to time constraints, workload, and appearances.
The 5 most influential Committees are the following:
• Committee on Trade: Handles trade disputes between merchants and each other as well as merchants and member states.
• Committee on Arms: Controls the militia of the Council States. Includes the Subcommittee on Domestic Safety which ensures the safety of the roads and highways and the Subcommittee on Defense which oversees military operations at the direction of the two Councils. This is actually a 27 member committee, with a chair and half of the remaining 26 on one subcommittee or the other.
• Committee on Justice: The judiciary arm of the Councils, the Committee on Justice provides criminal and civil justice through its two subcommittees on civil and criminal justice. The civil justice committee works on the individual level and often coordinates with the Committee on Trade for merchant-consumer justice. Further, member states have magisterial domain within their own jurisdiction on all matters not directly in violation of Council Law. Like the Committee on Arms, the Committee on Justice is actually a 27 member committee, with a chair and half the remaining 26 on once subcommittee or the other.
• Committee on Foreign Relations: Handles ambassadorial and foreign relations.
• Committee on Appeal: Handles the appellate process for committee decisions and laws.
• Other committees include:
• Committee on Religion: Traditionally made up of appointees from the clerical ranks of the major religions.
• Committee on the Arts: Provides patronage for the arts.
• Committee on Racial Relations: Arbitrates and protects the rights of various races, in particular those sentient races outside the body politic.
The Council of Wizardry is made up of the thirteen preeminent wizards of Astlan as selected by the Council Roster. This high honor is not bestowed lightly. Membership upon the council is for a term of 5 years and may be renewed at the mandate of the Roster.
In addition to the joint committees of the two councils, the Council of Wizardry and the Council Roster have the following internal committees to deal directly with affairs of Wizardry:
• Committee on Research
• Committee on Demonology (supersedes the Committee on Conjury)
• Committee on Sorcery
• Committee on Enchantment
• Committee on Pyromancy
• Committee on Thaumaturgy
• Committee on Runic Lore
• Committee on Necromancy: This committee, unlike the others specialization committees is concerned with restricting, regulating and as necessary, eliminating necromancy.
• Committee on Academic Affairs
• Committee of the Library and Patents
